1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hinge bar used in the hinge assembly of a large forward tilt hood found on large motor vehicles, such as trucks and school buses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Large motor vehicles, such as trucks and school buses, have large, bulky and heavy hoods attached to their cabs. A truck hood, for example, may weigh 150 pounds or more and can be difficult for a driver to lift without substantial effort on the part of the operator to open and close the hood.
The hoods are typically fastened at the front of the chassis using a front hood hinge and to the back of the cab using brackets. In many designs, the bulky hood opens to a vertical position by pivoting forward on the front hood hinge. The front hood hinge assembly must therefore support the weight of the heavy hood in the open position, while allowing the hood to pivot forward. One part of the hood hinge assembly is a hinge bar.
The prior art hinge bar shown in FIG. 11 has a number of problems. The hinge bar 126 has a straight rectangular body 128. A flat triangular bracket 130 abuts and fastens to the side at each end. The triangular brackets 130 in turn are used to fasten the hinge bar 126 to the right and left sides of a front reinforcement assembly. Circular rings fasten to the straight body. All parts must be carefully aligned or else the hinge bar will not fit the hood or the rest of the hinge assembly.
This straight design, however, does not work well for modern streamlined hoods. The modern hood and cab design is streamlined and curved, not only for aesthetics but also for reducing the drag on the vehicle to increase fuel economy. The streamlined design leaves less room under the hood.
The design of the hinge bar's straight body and triangular brackets does not allow a smooth fit into a curved front of the hood, if at all. If the curvature of the front end of the hood changes, the prior art hinge bar cannot easily accommodate the new design.
In addition, the prior art hinge bar has seven different parts that must be assembled by a worker. Assembling all these parts reduces efficiency and increases the chance of assembly error.
Therefore, there is a need for a hinge bar that will fit the streamlined, curved designs of the hood. In addition, the hinge bar should be easier to accurately assemble and to support other parts attached to it. The hinge bar should easily adapt to design changes in the hood and cab.